Imperial Biscotti Break
Evil Twin Brewing

Viaduck from California

4.32/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

About as dark as can be with an average size tan head. Very sweet fragrance: chocolate, brown sugar, coffee & roasted malt. Sweet but not as much as expected. Very complex & delicious flavor: chocolate, coffee, vanilla, brown sugar, rich & complex roaster malt flavors, mild earthyness & a fair amount of alcohol. Mild mouth & stomach heat with adequate carbonation. Medium viscosity. Evil Twin makes some outstanding beers & this is one of them.

Jun 12, 2021

KRug from Massachusetts

4.34/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned 11/16/20

You know it's odd with this one. I was intrigued when I saw it on the shelf so I said fuck it and just picked it up without much thought. I figured it was a fun, but ultimately throwaway pastry stout. It is only now that I come to review it that I realize it's actually held in pretty high regard here. Hopefully then I'll be getting something that's less gimmicky than I expected

Pours completely pitch black with 2 fingers of dark khaki head that fades to a cap and leaves spotty lacing

This definitely has a defined sweetness in the nose, but it's hidden behind a pretty substantial roast. I'm picking up on aromas of chewy fudge, roasty espresso, creamy vanilla, earthy whiskey (weird bc it's not barrel aged), and some general nuttiness

There is also an incredible balance taste-wise between the dessert aspects and the straight up roasty stout notes. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting toasted almond, roasted malt, lightly acidic coffee, milk chocolate, and rich vanilla. The swallow sweetens up a bit, bringing notes of fudge, soft oak, rich vanilla, dry roasted peanut, and roasted malt

A medium full body pairs with mild tingly carbonation, resulting in a super silky beer that never feels bogged down by the abv or the sweetness. Finishes mostly dry with a sweetness that slowly fades

For a non-BA imperial stout, this had a ton of complexity. Even with what some might consider "unnecessary adjuncts", this beer impressed me quite a bit

Mar 06, 2021

vi11am from Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Dark color, small, and light colored head. Smells of espresso and coco, light alcohol. Feels very light and carbonated, not like typical stout. Flavor is strong to start, then eases into a nice biscotti after taste.

Dec 23, 2020

bret27 from California

3.57/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From refrigerated can. Purchased at cask Flask Liquors, SJ
L: dark w/tan head
S: sweet, vanilla, chocolate, aluminum.
T: chocolate, bready, coffee, nutty, vanilla frosting donuts? Boozy.
F: moderately thick.
Overall: Just kind of underwhelmed.

Jun 20, 2020

Nuttin_but_the_best_Clark from Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Nothing about this beer tastes like Biscotti, which are sweet almond or vanilla crackers. This tastes like dunkin donuts coffee with a vanilla shot which was left overnight on the dashboard of a car. Evil Twin is awesome at naming beers that sound delicious but in reality taste nothing like their name implies they will.

Jun 03, 2020

BucannonXC5 from California

4.34/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Double / Imperial Stout
Glass: Rip Current 8-oz. beer glass
Price: $4.99
From: Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: March 26, 2020
Consumed: March 28, 2020
Misc.: No canned on date

This would be my second time having this, first time reviewing it. Actually brought a bomber of this to the 2019 Firestone Invitational for a bottleshare there, but never opened it and someone else (turns out it was my friend Bill) took it home. Then had a taster of it at The Mayor of Old Town in Fort Collins, Colo., in April 2019, giving it a 4.25 on Untappd and writing, “Tommy likey.” Most of the beer description is nonsense, but the front of the can read, “Imperial stout brewed with coffee and with almond and vanilla added.”

Poured a pitch black color with two fingers of khaki-tan frothy head. Could see a few bubbles creeping up along the sides of the glass. Outstanding layered lacing. Good retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Smelled rich dark coffee, espresso, ash tray, char wood, roasty malts, bitter dark chocolate, cacao, molasses bread, nuts and vanilla. Much of the same from the can. (Smell - 4.25)

Taste followed the nose, maybe just a tad smoother. In order got rich espresso, bitter dark coffee beans, char wood, burnt toast, roasty malts, baker’s chocolate, brownie batter, molasses bread, cacao, roasted nuts, vanilla and toasted caramel. Tasted nowhere near 11.5 pct., maybe 8.5 pct. (Taste - 4.50)

Full body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter finish. (Feel - 4.25)

Just an excellent coffee stout. So damn smooth and flavorful. (Overall - 4.25)

4.34 | 96 | A

May 17, 2020

CTHomer from Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: opaque; dark brown in color; 1+ finger dark brown head that receded to a wispy cap; very nice lacing;

S: balanced between deeply roasted grain, vanilla, coffee, and almond;

T: up front, it's deeply roasted grain, coffee, and vanilla; the almond blends in from the middle through the finish; throughout, the alcohol is noticeable - not hot, but more than warming; mild to moderate bitterness at the end;

M: medium to full bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: I realize that it's 11.5% ABV, but the alcohol was too prominent for my taste;

Apr 29, 2020

CraigDeMoss from Kansas

4.52/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Literal almond biscotti flavor. Black coffee with frothy, mocha-foam head. Full bodied, smooth and creamy with a nice, light hop and coffee bitterness. Very good

Mar 17, 2020

firesidewithphil from Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

IBB from Evil Twin is a great example of an overall balanced imperial. The stout is coffee forward but not just brewed coffee, it is quite sweet. The beer has strong cayenne kick in the back of the throat. The finish is an almond biscuit, nutty and flavorful.

Biscotti Break is always on my radar.

@firesidewithphil

Mar 16, 2020

NYNorseman from New York

4.81/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Evil Twin got it right when they called this beer flamboyant. This beer is chock full of flavor. The fire is raging in the fireplace and snow is coming and this beer is perfect for the occasion. It tastes like chocolate, carmelized brown sugar, vanilla and roasted spicy notes. This beer is pitch black and delicious!

Feb 06, 2020

mothmanscott from Georgia

4.35/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a deep opaque black, producing 1.5 fingers of dense, mocha, rapidly diminishing head that leaves little lace. Aroma reeks of dark chocolate and is reminiscent of Oreo cookies or fudge brownies topped with pecans, walnuts, some coffee, roast and burnt notes with hints of raisin, dark cherries, vanilla, caramel, toffee and low level alcohol for the ABV. The complexity deepens as the brew warms. Taste is heavy to cookies and cream, sweet and bitter dark chocolate fudge with notes of roasted and burnt malts, coffee, fig, prune and molasses with minor spice in the finish that develops into a chocolatey burnt and bitter aftertaste. Again complexity deepens as the brew warms and as is usual with these higher ABV stouts, the alcohol which is subdued early in the pour, becomes more prominent and spicy with time. Mouthfeel is rich, full and heavy bodied with moderate carbonation (a little more than is normal for the style); smooth and silky with milk-like creaminess. Outstanding.

Nov 14, 2019

colts9016 from Idaho

4.78/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This review has been a couple of months in the making. Life has wrangled me in a hog pen and tied me to a post. It is time to go back to what makes life grand, beer. I will now get on with the review. The beer is Imperial Biscotti Break from Evil Twin. Evil Twin Brewing makes better dark beers, in my opinion. The beer is 47 degrees and served in my Madison River Brewing tulip glass. The pour of the beer produced a one finger creamy and airy medium tan head. The head's retention is fair, leaving no lacing on the glass. That is disappointing to see no retention on the beer. The beer has a higher alcohol percentage; I should observe head retention. I have drunk stouts over 11 percent with massive retention and sexy lacing on the glass. The dark brown beer is nearly black and is opaque. Overall, the appearance of the beer is above average despite the lack of head retention.

The aromas in the beer are dark chocolate, almonds, sweet bakery bread, dark roasted coffee, molasses, anise, toffee, burnt sugars, char, vanilla, a hint of phenol, earthiness, and yeast.

The flavors in the beer are caramelized sugar, cinnamon rolls (without the cinnamon), medium roasted coffee, molasses, anise, toffee, a hint of charred malts, chocolate but not dark or milk, cereal grains, vanilla, earthiness, nutty, and yeast.

The mouthfeel of the beer is luscious, thick, creamy, and chewy.

The body of the beer is full, low carbonation, and a full finish.

This beer is everything you could dream for a luscious full body stout with coffee and vanilla. The balance in the beer is perfect. This beer is marvelous. I am sipping this beer to savor the flavors. The lack of head retention makes no difference in the score this beer will receive.

Oct 28, 2019

Thankin_Hank from Texas

4.67/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Batch #19 in a 1 pint can. Dark, rich and delicious looking. A tiny head. The smell is like alcoholic chocolate cake or cocoa with whiskey. The taste is smooth and chocolatey. Alcohol is well hidden. Smoothest mouthfeel for a stout I think I ever had. It's awesome. A righteous stout. Damn. Should've got two. Outstanding Eviltwin.

Oct 25, 2019

phildo79 from Northern Ireland

2.58/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Very disappointed with this beer. Like nearly all Evil Twin beers, this one failed to live up to the hype. There was little to no biscotti flavour. Low carbonation, as expected. Ok mouthfeel. Bland aroma. ABV was well hidden. Just an expensive, 'meh' of an imp stout. The flavours need to be more pronounced in pretty much all ET beers that I have tried.

Sep 03, 2019

mclardass from Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Viscous and black, strong tan head which fades fast but stays lacey on the glass. Pours a little syrupy but isn't cloying on the tongue, great mouthfeel and aftertaste. Deep roast flavors, particularly dark chocolate and coffee, with mild vanilla and a hint of nuttiness with a faint chili burn in the background. Drinking this on a rainy Summer night but this would be a great beer to enjoy in winter by the fire.

Jul 12, 2019

Jeffrey1701 from Netherlands

4.36/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

When pouring out the color was dark brown almost black. It looked like it was a bit syrupy when pouring out and it seemed as though it wouldn't have much of a head until a nice brown foam head appeared.
When smelling it i smelled an aroma of cookies and dark fruity pure chocolate. The taste was rich and sweet but not overly sweet or syrupy and after a sip i noticed a lingering coffee note, very nice. The mouthfeel was smooth and although it had a high ABV it didn't feel very boozy. I personally really liked it.

I bought a 1 pint can for 9 euros at J&B craft beer store, wasn't dissappointed.

Jul 09, 2019

MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

16oz can. Date coding is by 'Batch #003'.
Black colored body with a glimmer of garnet when back lit through the thinnest area of the glass. Multiple fingers of tan head upon pouring, which settles back to a bubbly, active cap. Leaves behind some scattered swirls of lacing.
Aroma from the glass is present but is different in that while there is dark roasted malts, there is also an earthy black licorice edge and the biscotti almond.
Taste expresses dark roasted malts and a bit of char, along with the almond and vanilla. Quite dry in the finish.
Medium plus mouth feel. Has a thick stout texture. Good carbonation.
A very dense stout in smell and flavor. Just a touch of sweetness. Mostly dour and dry. With small plates of complimentary food flavors, this is a high ABV% stout that I could choice for an extended drinking session.

Apr 19, 2019

GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Canned spring 2016; drank 6/8/16 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

A rough pour yielded a HUGE tan head (careful pouring!); a curtain of frothy lace.

Cantaloupe, milk chocolate, vanilla, mild medium roast coffee bean & faint fresh earth notes in the nose.

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Cantaloupe, milk chocolate & medium roast coffee bean flavors up front; vanilla notes on the finish. No booze heat.

Very unique (cantaloupe?!) and rich; the can seemed to help bring out more flavors in this one.

Apr 15, 2019

AlexanderGates from Hawaii

4.35/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big, dark roasted malts, rich, tons of chocolate, coffee, hints of slick vanilla, almonds/nuts, alcohol, very dark brown/black color with off-white sustained head

Apr 05, 2019

NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Evil Twin Brewing "Imperial Biscotti Break"
16 fl. oz. can, coded "BATCH #018 20:59"
$4.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: Ahh, a nice midday snack, sans the actual coffee. OK, it's poured an opaque black body beneath a finger-thick head of dense dark tan foam. The aroma is a little floral and perfume-like - I can see the almond in it but it comes across as extract (and to be honest, what else would it be?). I get some roastiness as well, I guess coming from the coffee, but I don't really see it as "coffee". Moving on to the flavor, there's more coffee to it, and more almond although it still has that kind of sweetish candy and perfume-like character to it. I like this but it's not reminding me of having an espresso and a biscotti at one of my favorite little hole-in-the-walls in Italy. Maybe it's a little like an espresso with a shot of almond syrup but that's even a stretch as it just doesn't have the intensity in the coffee side. Ahhh, I walked away for a bit and it's warmed some and now when I smell it I get coffee first and almond second, so that's a change. I like it better this way, I thought I'd had it out of the fridge for long enough but I guess not. So, back to the flavor... I'm still getting more almond upfront, and some vanilla, and then the coffee - and that's not bad. Is it knocking my socks off, no, but it's OK. It's a bit sweetish but I guess that's what we're going for here, right? Could it pass as a dessert beer? Yes, I guess, but I still feel like it's coming off as a little artificial. OK, where am I? Bitterness! Yes, it's got a moderate bitterness and it balances it but something lingers in my mouth that doesn't feel right - I'm guessing it's extract although lactose can do this to me as well. I'm not sure there's any lactose involved but who knows. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp and then smooth across the tongue. The alcohol doesn't come across at all unless it's adding to the perfume-like note. In the mouth it's medium bodied but dextrinous, and quite smooth. Overall it's an interesting strong dessert beer that's probably worth taking a look at.
Review# 6,507

Mar 07, 2019

Unclevince from West Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Really enjoyed the look, smell, and flavor of this beer. I found this one to be very astringent for some reason. Maybe astringent isn’t the right word but there was something in the aftertaste that was very distracting and kept this from being something special.

Mar 02, 2019

Duderinimy from Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Love the idea. Love the brand. Not enough body. The beer is strangely thin for one with so much alcohol. The flavor is complex, but so complex I can’t figure it out.

Mar 01, 2019

SSS from Canada (QC)

4.54/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-Pure espresso black with a brown mocha head that is quite present and lush
S-Aroma is a muddled almond that is subdued
M-Thick, luscious and full bodied. Rich and bold.
T-Beautiful sweet and bitter balance overall with complimentary notes of almond and vanilla in a symphony of flavour
O-This is a wonderful beer! I say that quite unexpectedly as I was apprehensive of an over stimulus of extract and fake flavours. But this was not the case at all!! Really well crafted.

Jan 26, 2019

josanguapo from Spain

5/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

De Mikkeller shop. En copa Teku. Compartido con Carlos. Con queso, doritos y pizza. Riquisimamente con delicioso sabor cafetoso, dulce y suavisma en el paladar. Un autentica delicia que te deja con ganas de mas

Jan 18, 2019

Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

(16 oz can, batch #016 ... poured into a snifter)

L: dark brown liquid, black appearance; fleeting sizzly brown foam... no head retention (aside from thin collar), no lace

S: lots of coffee, bit of a vanilla-almond note as one would find in said biscotti... the roast is rough but mellow; doesn't smell overtly sweet/syrupy... the vanilla-almond combo opens up a bit more, smelling like a scented candle... little edge to the alcohol; overall smells like a coffee infused with a flavored cream (liqueur)

T: dark-roasty, espresso-like malt, with huge almond blast in the finish, vanilla fumes in its wake... delicate, vaguely-vinous fruity esters hanging on the palate in aftertaste, subtle spicy booze note as well... by the third sip, impression of sweetness enhances (and/or rather that of lame extract flavors?), dark crystal malt crust on a doughy cookie base... the malts open up, exposed to be thick and layered, but indistinct (similar enough to EMJ and other craft imp stouts)... the intensity of the extracts fade, simply coloring the hard coffee cookie, but its overall impact remains bold enough

F: has some lean meat on its bones but is thankfully not quite slick, sludgy, or syrupy... and with the booze either expertly tamed or weighed down by the malt milk, this is damn easy and smooth

O: interesting concept but hardly/barely crafted - this could be better: roastier, toastier, nuttier, like a damn biscotti, with a sharper, snappier finish - maybe the imp stout part gets in the way?... explosive flavor intensity but has that bloated, homogenous, concentrated, all-too-familiar (ET) imperial stout ... I dumped EMJ halfway through and this too - they're a bit much to drink; a reduction may work well...

Jan 03, 2019